2001 Volkswagen Gti

AIR BAG DEFAULT LIGHT AND BUZZER HAS COME ON MANY TIMES. JAN 2001, APRIL 2001, AUG 2005, JAN 2006 AND NOW AGAIN FEB 2006. VW OF AMERICA HAS REPAIRED AND PAID FOR FIRST THREE PROBLEMS. IN JAN THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD ONLY COVER 75% OF COST OF REPAIR. EACH TIME I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY CAR FOR AS LONG AS A WEEK. I NOW HAVE A CALL INTO THE DEALER FOR THIS FIFTH PROBLEM AND AM WAITING AND OBVIOUSLY AM FRUSTRATED. THE FAULT CODE HAS BEEN 00588 032-RESISTANCE BEING TOO HIGH IN THE AIR BAG IGNIGHTER...I AM THANKFUL I HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT SO I AM UNABLE TO KNOW WHETHER THE AIR BAG WOULD BE OF ANY HELP. BUT THIS DOES KEEP ME WONDERING...I EXPECT VW OF A TO PAY FOR ALL SUCH REPAIRS AND PROVIDE ME WITH A LONER CAR. THEY ARE NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *NM

DT: WHILE DRIVING, THE REAR LEFT TIRE WENT FLAT. THERE WAS A NAIL IN THE TIRE, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE FLAT TIRE. ALSO THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO COLLISION AND THE VEHICLE DIDN'T SWERVE. CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURY, SHE HAS A BURN ON HER UPPER ARM. VEHICLE WAS A VOLKSWAGEN, GTI, 2001. SHE WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING; SHE WOULD HAVE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE MANUFACTURER. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE DONE UNDERNEATH OF THE VEHICLE.*AK

I WAS REAR ENDED IN NOV 2003. MY CAR WAS PUSHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO SIGNAL THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I DID NOT FIND THIS OUT UNTIL AFTER THE ACCIDENT WHEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WAS AT THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE SIGNAL HAD GOTTEN SCRAMBLED AND LOST. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. IN APR 2005, DURING MY 60K SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT MY AIRBAG RESISTANCE WAS SET TOO HIGH AND THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY. THE DEALER SAID THIS REPAIR WOULD COST $1000 IN PARTS PLUS THE LABOR WHICH IS INTENSIVE. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPAIR FAULTY SAFETY EQUIPMENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS IS NOT THE FIRST PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG.

TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER AFTER AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS TOLD THE ON BOARD COMPUTER SAYS FAULT CODE 00591 FOR DRIVER'S BELT SWITCH RESISTANCE BEING TOO HIGH, WHICH IS DUE TO BROKEN WIRING IN BELT SWITCH HARNESS IN DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE. I WAS TOLD THIS COULD LEAD TO AIRBAG NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY IN THE CASE OF A COLLISION. I BELIEVE FAILURE OF THE WIRING IN THE BELT SWITCH HARNESS IS PROBABLY DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW/MANUFACTURING FAULT SINCE IT IS A RELATIVELY NEW CAR. *AK

DUE TO THE "AIRBAG" SYMBOLS DISPLAYED ON THE A- AND B-PILLARS OF MY CAR, I AND MY DEALER ASSUMED THAT CURTAIN AIRBAGS WERE INSTALLED. THE MONRONEY STICKER LISTED ONLY FRONT AND SIDE AIRBAGS. VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER SERVICE INFORMED ME THAT CURTAIN AIRBAGS WERE A RUNNING CHANGE DURING THE MODEL YEAR AND THAT MY VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE CURTAIN AIRBAGS BASED ON ITS DATE OF MANUFACTURE, DESPITE THE "AIRBAG" SYMBOLS INDICATING THAT CURTAIN AIRBAGS WERE INSTALLED (CURTAIN AIRBAG INSTALLATION BEGAN IN MARCH, 2001, WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS ASSEMBLED IN FEBRUARY, 2001). THE VW CUSTOMER SERVICE OPERATOR WAS UNCONCERNED AND SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT MY LOCAL DEALER IF I WAS DISSATISFIED. MY LOCAL DEALER SUBSEQUENTLY "CONFIRMED" THE INSTALLATION OF CURTAIN AIRBAGS THROUGH THE VEHICLE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM. WHILE I HAVE CHOSEN TO RELY ON MY LOCAL DEALER'S INFORMATION RATHER THAN INFORMATION PROVIDED BY VOLKSWAGEN'S CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE MONRONEY STICKER, I AM TROUBLED BY VOLKSWAGEN'S INEPTITUDE AND LACK OF CONCERN IN PROVIDING INFORMATION ON A CRITICAL SAFETY SYSTEM. MOST TROUBLING, VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS UNCONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE INTERIOR TRIM BADGING INDICATED INSTALLATION OF CURTAIN AIRBAGS WHERE THEIR RECORDS SHOWED THAT NONE WERE INSTALLED. OF LESSER CONCERN TO ME IS THAT THE MONRONEY STICKER OMITTED AN IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE. AT LEAST I THINK IT DID. IF I'M EVER UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO RESOLVE THE DEBATE BETWEEN MY LOCAL DEALER AND VOLKSWAGEN EXPERIMENTALLY AND FIND THAT NO CURTAIN AIRBAGS ARE IN FACT INSTALLED IN MY CAR, I OR MY HEIRS WILL BE CONTACTING YOU AGAIN.*AK